Page 17 of Burned

He offers an apologetic smile. “We should go.”

As he pushes past me, I squeeze my eyes shut for a second before catching up to him. Scotland. This situation just got a whole lot weirder.

Chapter

Seven

LORD

Iwasn’t sure Alrick and I would be able to make it off the compound without any of my brothers or their mates spotting us, but luck must be on our side. The anxious knots in my stomach loosen as I board the Drake jet, giving the flight crew—consisting primarily of shifters and witches—a polite smile in greeting. Alrick is right behind me with the bag of extra clothes I threw together in a hurry flung over his shoulder.

His long hair is tied back now, giving me an even better view of his boxy jaw and broad shoulders. I’ve never seen such a thick neck in my life, not even on a gargoyle. It’s impossible not to imagine what he would look like with his head thrown back, his lips parted on a moan and his face contorted with pleasure as I drag my scorching tongue over his Adam’s apple. My cock twitches and my dragon lurches eagerly. Alrick’s skin flushes and his breathing picks up as he rubs a circle over the center of his chest.

I know I need to rein in these horny thoughts. They’re wrong on so many levels and all I’m doing is torturing myself withfantasies that can never come true. But knowing every filthy, lustful thought that makes my body burn is heating his blood and hardening his cock too is making it that much more difficult to stop myself.

Alrick whistles as he looks around the small plane, tossing his bag onto an empty seat.

“This is pretty fancy. It must have cost a fortune.” His eyes cut to me sharply. He’s hoping if he asks enough pointed questions, I’ll confess to being a dragon. The Viking doesn’t know who he’s playing with. I may not be as cunning as my brothers or as practiced at deceit, but I perfected my bluffing and my poker face before the game was even invented.

I hum thoughtfully, claiming my usual seat and picking an imaginary piece of lint off my shirt. “My brothers and I own a lucrative security business. The plane was a business expense.”

He narrows his eyes suspiciously but drops the subject.

Speaking of my brothers, however…

Now that I’ve successfully spirited my accidental mate away from their prying eyes, I do need to let them know that I’ll be away for at least a few days. I slide my phone out of my pocket while Alrick takes the seat next to me. Curious. There are a dozen seats, and he could have chosen any of them. Maybe he’s paranoid enough that he’s convinced himself I’m planning to stage a plane crash, and he figures if he sits close enough he’ll be able to catch a ride on my dragon when I shift to fly away.

I open the group chat we all share. There are dozens of messages since the last time I bothered to check it, most of them speculation about what the hell is wrong with me.

HEMINGWAY: Maybe he found his mate?

ARSON: That really doesn’t explain the stench of blood or why he’s being so cagey about everything.

MONTROSE: Unless he really did decide to turn his mate into a snack. *chomp chomp*

LAKE: Speaking of being eaten by dragons, hot tip for the other mates… ask for the dragon tongue.

DRAYDON: I’m sorry, the what?? Ars… have you been holding out on me?

ARSON: Saving it for a special occasion, wolfie.

DEMPSEY: Lord might have an injured mate he’s trying to hide from us, is this really the best time to discuss sex tricks?

LAKE: If he has an injured mate he can just give them his fire and they’ll be fine, which leaves us with plenty of time to talk about sex baby, to talk about you and me…

DEMPSEY: Wait, WE’RE not having sex…

LAKE: *face palm * it’s a song, Demps.

It goeson like that over the course of days, talking about me like I’m not in the chat and won’t see the messages eventually. I can’t help the smile that twitches on my lips at the banter that derails each and every conversation. I’ve only been avoiding them for a week, but it feels like an eternity.

Alrick sighs heavily beside me.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m suddenly just really homesick. My brothers are a couple of pricks, but I miss them.” He presses his fist against his chest and lets out another long breath. After a second, his face hardens, and he sits up a little straighter.

It’s hard to watch this constant push/pull, seeing him slowly relax, realize he’s making himself vulnerable, then put his walls right back up as high as he can build them. I wish there was some way to convince him that I really don’t have any intention of harming him. That I couldn’t harm him even if Ididwant to. But I suppose the more I insist on it, the more suspicious it will seem, like I have a vested interest in getting him to let his guard down.

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